Spilling Guts

Part 41 - Big Pictures

Cetz returned to Watch Two Friday morning when the gray dawn had melted from the sky and made way for silvery clouds. He wore the businessman costume of a suit and tie, as well as a briefcase. It made his job seem more like a nine-to-five than the life oath it felt like. He sipped the overly frothy coffee he had picked up on his way in.

Louis could have his straight and sweet Americana espresso; Cetz needed flavor in the morning; it made waking up worth the effort. Cream, carbs, sugar. Caramel and chocolate drizzle.

Yes, Cetz liked dessert for breakfast. He could also shoot a bull's-eye at over twelve-hundred meters.

Once he passed security and its scans, he did his walk around the base. Video Security, well caffeinated. Arms Tech, locked tight. Cold storage, still freezing. Rachel's lab, locked and none of his business unless he was invited or something was on fire. If Rachel was not here than she was making good on her promise of self-care and sleeping in for once. She had lost enough sleep, and sanity, trying to build Harrison's experiment. The Hive, still had a shrine to Grant, their Comp Tech Sleeping Beauty. However someone had attached poster board to the wall behind the shrine and a mural in crayon and sharpie slowly crept across.

Just in case, Cetz went into Grant's office and double checked he was still breathing. Yep. Plenty of breathing. Lips slowly losing their green hue. And someone, probably Rachel, had attached a pulse monitor to Grant's finger.

Smart, thought Cetz.

He wove his way back upstairs, past Main Tech and the bringer of woe with the mail cart that laid out the next set of patents in everyone's inbox. Louis' box looked unusually high.

Louis can keep looking into the Devil's Neckbrace all he wants, but he's not getting field work until he eats the rest of the vegetables on his plate. Besides, the upstairs needed the help.

Meanwhile, Will's inbox looked empty. Why...?

Oh, right. Will is upstairs today for a friends and family meet. Cetz chuckled into his coffee, sipping more whipped cream than caffeine. He gets the "fun" stuff today.

Cetz turned the corner and saw Milton Balcuwitz waiting outside of his office like a wooden signpost; he wore a dark plum sweater with wooden buttons and... acorn socks. No shoes.

Maybe it's a shrink thing. Or just a Balcuwitz thing. Balcuwitz held a scrap bit of paper upon which was scrawled a map. He must have gotten up real early to meet me.

Cetz tipped up his cup. "Morning."

Balciwitz nodded. "Good morning."

"You got a..." Cetz gestured to his chin. "Something there."

Balcuwitz tapped the sticky spot on his face and licked his finger. "Oh, raspberry jalapeno jam. Had it on scones this morning."

"Sounds delicious." Cetz unlocked his office door.

"It is. But I didn't come to talk about breakfast," said Balcuwitz.

"I figured." Cetz opened the door and made a welcoming gesture. "Come on in. You got me at a good time; freshly dosed with caffeine and sugar and no major problems, yet."

Cetz settled in to his desk, shrugging off the suit jacket, tie, and rolling up his sleeves. He could dress down once his arrived at his office, put himself into the mind-set of "okay, what's FUBAR now?"

Balcuwitz sat and held up a notebook. "I stayed late last night to go over the files you released to me."

Cetz nodded. Good, that was one of the projects he wanted Agents Megan and Teegan to benefit from. "And?"